Ruth’s Harvest

The Fruits of the Spirit-Joy

/ Ginger Davenport / Leave a comment

Fruits of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

Joy (chara):

What is joy? Joy is cheerfulness. It’s seeing a baby smile and the uncontrollable giggle of a child. It is puppy kisses and kitten toes, wildflowers, and rainy days. But the joy of a Christian is more than that. It is deep awareness of God’s grace and favor. It is being able to smile even when facing the most horrible circumstances. It comes from a place of thanksgiving and of laying our burdens at the feet of the Savior who endured the pain that we deserved. When we sit at the feet of Jesus there is joy inexpressible. His voice is quiet, and His confident presence reminds us that no one can separate us from his love.

Peter says in I Peter 1:8-9: “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Friends, there is nothing that brings me more joy than knowing that my future is secure in Christ. It was how the first century Christians were able to stand firm in their faith when they were persecuted, and why many went to their deaths willingly when they were told to deny Him.

The pure presence and nearness of God is joy. It is only found when we quiet our minds of all the distractions of the world and lean into the Word of God. The more time we spend with Him, the more aware we are of His grace towards us which causes our hearts to burst with joy.

There have been a few people in my life who embodied this type of joy, and it wasn’t because their life was easy. Their joy came from pure gratitude for another day of life and resting in assurance of the love of the heavenly Father. Two of these people were called to our heavenly home at a young age and I can only imagine how they rejoiced when Jesus drew them into His arms. And yet there wasn’t a day on this earth, even in the toils and the difficulties, that they didn’t have the biggest grin on their faces. I want to have that kind of joy. Not joy that is determined by circumstances, but joy that comes from inner peace. That is Christian joy.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice.” Philippians 4:4

The Fruits of the Spirit

/ Ginger Davenport / Leave a comment

Fruits of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

 Love: (agape)

What is love? It is a word that is difficult to define. It encompasses affection and benevolence, but so much more. Listed as the first of the fruits of the Spirit, it is the foundation upon which all the other fruits are built.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  I Corinthians 13:4-7.

Love sees another in their affliction and has compassion. It gives preference to the other person’s needs. Love does not envy or boast but wishes the best for the other person. Love celebrates the accomplishments of others, cries with them in their sorrow, holds them in their grief, and speaks hard truths.

When I think about love, I ask myself, how do I live in a way that displays the deepest kind of love that can only come from Christ? As I sit at the feet of Jesus, I look into His eyes and try to see the world as He did. He opened his arms wide to every soul He encountered. Thieves, drunkards, liars, adulterers, fornicators, cheaters, murderers, the self-righteous…He did not condone their sin, but told them to believe and repent. Then He went to a cross, where He offered himself as a sacrifice so that they could be forgiven and redeemed from their sin.

The love of Christ is the essence of the gospel. It sets us free from our own evil desires and brings us back into a relationship with the Creator. This freedom brings peace from striving to live up to the false standards and expectations of the world. Having this peace sets our minds at ease and makes it easier to live from a place of love and compassion. The love of Jesus wipes away all bitterness and wrath from our hearts and transforms us.

Love does not fail. I Corinthians 13:8

 

Who is this God?

/ Ginger Davenport / 1 Comment

Who is this God?

Since the beginning of the year, I have been reading through the Old Testament, asking myself the question, who is this God? This God who claims to be sovereign over the whole earth, with ultimate power and authority, what are His attributes? Is His grace as abundant in the Old Testament as it is in the New? As women of faith, can we trust Him? My answer is a resounding “yes!”

As I read through my journal today, I am reminded of just how big our God is. To begin, here are a few of my observations.

Who is this God?

1) He is the one who created the earth. He brought forth the sun, moon, and stars that shine down upon us. Brilliant balls of glowing fire twinkle across an expanse so deep we cannot imagine its ends. He made the breadth of the sea, swarming with life so colorful, not even the brightest rainbow could compare. God made the flowers and trees with thousands of species, clothing each hillside with its own unique attire. Then He made the animals, some playful, some fierce, yet living in a circle of perfect cadence. Finally, He made His crowning jewels. Us. The Trinity-God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, looked down and said, “Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness.” More beautiful than all creation, He made man and woman and placed them in a garden where every need was supplied. Then He looked down on His creation and said that it was good.

Genesis 1:1– “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

John 1:1– “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

John 1:14– “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

2) He is a god who is just. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve when they fell to the temptation of Satan.  This broke God’s heart . After all, He had created us as His crowning jewels to live in eternal communion with Him. Yet, God’s perfect justice required punishment. Adam and Eve were banished from the garden of Eden and man was separated from God. At first glance, one might ask how a loving God could punish them. But think back to a time when evil went unpunished and ask yourself if you want to live in a world without justice. If we are honest we would all answer no. The truth is, every human is unrighteous, on the same playing field with even the evilest of evil. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”  Thankfully, God’s justice is perfect justice. He will not allow evil to go unpunished and this is a good thing.

3) He is sovereign, a god who possesses supreme and ultimate power. He alone has authority over all the earth, and He is Lord over His creation. That means He is Lord whether you have acknowledged Him as Lord or not.  His purposes and plans will not fail, and He has not left them up to chance.  Throughout history, God raised up men of faith to carry out His plan in order that salvation could be brought to a stubborn and unworthy people. Each and every act in the Old Testament, points to the coming of Christ, and the ultimate plan God had to save His people.

4) He is the one who justifies the unjust. At first this seems like a paradox. And yet, when we sit in the tension of God’s requirement for justice and His willingness to offer himself as the means for our justification, it brings us to our knees.  He is a god slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and forgiving. He offered grace to His people, not because of their righteousness, but in order that His covenant with Abraham would be fulfilled and that He would be glorified. (Deut. 9:1-8). This was a supreme act of mercy and one that could only come from a perfect, holy God.

Ephesians 2:4-10 : “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were DEAD in our trespasses, made us ALIVE together in Christ—by faith you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no man may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

5) His is a god whose glory shines like no other. He went to extremes to have the Israelites build a tabernacle grand enough to inspire our imaginations to think of heaven. And yet we can only imagine what it will be like to sit in His presence. When I think of the most beautiful things of the world, I’m reminded that God is a god who makes and loves beautiful things. This world is full of beauty—a colorful sunrise, snow covered mountains, the rise and fall of the ocean tide crashing against a white caped beach, a baby’s smile. He is a god who wishes to bless us with good things. He has placed evidence of His love all around us…the glorious beauty of a high mountain valley full of wildflowers,  the vast expanse of the heavens, the smile of a stranger, and the familiar touch of a loved one. He has set a table full of extravagant blessings that our human minds can barely imagine. Even as I sit here my mind struggles to think of words to adequately describe His love for us, and I can only think of the one Lover of my soul.  After all, He is the one who took my dry bones and brought them back to life, washed me as white as snow and made me a new creature. Friends, Jesus alone is worthy to cup our fragile hearts in His hands and carry us to eternity.  He did this so that His glory would shine like the sun.  All glory to God in the Highest and to His Son Jesus Christ!

As the old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’s blood and righteousness.”

“In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” I John 4:10

Praise God for His sovereignty, and His love. Praise Him for His grace and mercy which was extended to His people from the beginning of time!

Who is this Christ?

/ Ginger Davenport / Leave a comment

Who is this Christ?

For the past 8 months, I have been slowly reading through the gospels, asking myself the question, who is this Christ? It is the most important question anyone could ask themselves. After all, whether we believe it or not, Christ was a man who changed the world. His life on earth dictated everything. His life changed how our calendar is arranged and provided wisdom to the masses. Christ indeed was a good man, full of wisdom and truth about how we should live together and love one another. He is the one who reaches for the marginalized, who sees our whole life and wants to give us eternal life (John 4:1-38). He sees us and knows us and still wants to draw us to himself.

He was the one who healed a man on the Sabbath, knowing that He would be ridiculed by his own people.  Christ is the one who is compassionate towards our physical needs. He fed the 5000, not because they deserved it, but because he loved them (John 6:1-15).

Who is this Christ? He is the one who sees right through my heart. When we are more focused on self and physical comforts, he gently calls us to turn back to him and focus on the things of this life that are most important (John 6:16-40). He was rejected by His own people, and yet had the power to forgive them of their own spiritual blindness and self-righteousness.

Jesus alone is the one with the words of eternal life. He is the bread of life (John 6:35) and the one who will raise us up on the last day.  Christ has freed us from sin (Galatians 5:1). He has fulfilled the law and made it possible for us to be justified apart from works of the law (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse himself (Galatians 3:13).  He has made it possible for all to receive the blessing of Abraham and the promised Spirit by faith. (Galatians 3:14).

So, what is faith?

It is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). It is acknowledging a power so great that even the wind and the waves obey His voice. It’s looking up into the stars and knowing He is there or watching the sun set knowing that His timing is perfect. It’s believing that the synchronization of breath and life and the blood running through our veins could only come from Him. Faith in the Almighty, I AM is so much greater than action equals reward, because when we have faith in Him, it’s about seeing and discerning the love of a Father who built this world so that He could dwell with us. From the Garden of Eden, to the tabernacle in Exodus, to Solomon’s temple, to the incarnation of His Son, and the establishment of His church, God seeks for His people to have a relationship with Him. Oh yes, He wants to reward us for our faith. But he is not a God to be bartered with like the pagan gods. He is a God whose perfect justice could not ignore the sin of mankind, yet made a way for our redemption through His perfect mercy and grace. It’s knowing with full assurance that the covenant God made with Abraham, applies to us, and believing that God keeps His promises. For each one of us, deserving of death, He gave His own Son that we might have life. Faith is believing that the only way to life is through the powerful working of the blood of Christ and believing that there is nothing that could ever be done by any of us to earn His mercy. True faith, like Enoch, and Abraham and Moses, is confidently placing our lives in His hands and giving our obedience to say “yes, God, I want to be a part of Your story.” Faith in God is knowing Him so surely that we cannot help but obey, because in the daily walk with Him we have learned that the more we seek Him, the more our hearts want to glorify Him in everything we do.

“For without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Rejoice in Bethlehem

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The world is a chaotic place. Suffering abounds in almost every direction, and it feels like things are becoming more and more broken. The truth is the world became broken a long time ago. It happened in ancient times, in a garden that God made perfect. Adam and Eve lived in perfect relationship with each other and the Lord. Can you imagine? No sickness, no violence, no evil. Paradise.

Enter Satan. Powerful at deception and lies, he convinced Eve to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. She convinced Adam to do the same. The one thing he required of his people was respect for his laws. Now, his law had been broken. God in his perfect goodness was required to execute justice. Mankind, now fallen, became subject to live in a broken world. But was it forever?

Ruth, in her brokenness, found herself in a similar predicament. She had lost everything and now found herself widowed and without a provider, a Moabite living in a foreign land. Her situation was not much different from ours.

Just like Ruth, we are:

1) Widows struggling to survive in a world where Satan is powerful. He goes about seeking who he can devour. I Peter 5:8: “Be soberminded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.”  We are vulnerable. The truth is sin will eat you alive. Its pleasures are fleeting and temporary and will lead to our destruction both in this life and in the life to come.

2) Unable to save ourselves. Ruth was at the mercy of her situation. Yes, Boaz had taken notice of her, but her future was still insecure. How long could she glean in his field before she would be turned away? We might be able to scrape by without too many acute consequences. People live in sin all the time without truly suffering. Yet the Bible teaches that a life of sin leads to chronic and everlasting consequences. Death and eternal suffering will eventually catch up to us without intervention. What is the answer? Is there any hope?

The story of Ruth teaches that there is reason to rejoice in Bethlehem!  The beautiful thing about the story of God and the story of Ruth is that He has not left us hopeless.

Just like Ruth, we need a redeemer. Ruth needed a redeemer who had the right, the resources, and the resolve to redeem her, and God’s law made this possible.

Leviticus 25:24-27: “If a brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest kinsmen will redeem what he has sold.”

Deuteronomy 25:5-10: “If a brother dies and leaves a wife, she shall not be married outside of the family, her husband’s brother will take her and marry her so that the name can be carried on.”

Boaz met all these requirements!

When it seemed like all was lost, Ruth was given the opportunity to surrender in faith to God’s plan. She presented herself as a servant and Boaz showed her kindness. Ruth 3:9: “And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” In the original language, the word “hased” translated kindness encompasses love, mercy, goodness, loyalty and self-lessness. Boaz’s response to Ruth is a picture of God’s love for us.

And just as God provided for Ruth, He has provided for us! Jesus meets all the requirements to redeem us!

Jesus has the right to redeem us.  “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1: 15-16).  Jesus is God and therefore, has all authority. “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” (Colossians 1:18)

Jesus has the resources to redeem us. Under the old law, a perfect sacrifice was needed to redeem the people from sin, to reconcile them to God. Jesus lived a life completely free of sin. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Therefore, Jesus was the perfect solution to the dilemma of sin.

Finally, Jesus has the resolve to redeem us. He walked into Jerusalem knowing that his ultimate fate would be death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8 (ESV) says: “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Praise God, we can rejoice that a baby was born in Bethlehem, who would ultimately become our Savior and bring light to a sinful, dark world. His sacrifice brought redemption and His resurrection gives us hope that we too will rise to eternal life.  Praise God, for His glorious plan! Have you placed your faith in him? Rejoice in Bethlehem, He is waiting to save you!

Abide in Bethlehem

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Ruth Chapter 2:

You’ve received the diagnosis, put to rest your loved one, come to grips with reality. The suffering you’re enduring is not going away. Day by day passes and you pray for comfort or a resolution of your anguish. Relief seems far away as you wait for God to move.

So, what do you do in the waiting? I can imagine Ruth and Naomi in their suffering. They have placed their faith in God and returned to Bethlehem, all the while wondering how God will move. How would He heal their brokenness? How would they manage as they waited for God?

First, Naomi and Ruth did not become paralyzed with fear, but moved in faith. According to the Levitical law if a woman was widowed and had not had children, the nearest male relative was to marry her to maintain the family name (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Naomi knew of a kinsman of the clan of her husband Elimelech who could fulfill this law by marrying Ruth, one who could be a kinsman redeemer. Ruth, understanding this, told Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” (Chapter 2:2). Ruth stepped out in faith, believing that God would provide, and He did. “So, she set out to come to the part of the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.” (Chapter 2:3). God’s providence led her to the field of a kinsman redeemer.

Second, Ruth did not give up on God, but held on with perseverance. She gleaned in the field of Boaz from early morning until Boaz took notice (Chapter 2:7). The scripture does not say exactly how long she gleaned, but the response of the reapers seems to indicate that she had worked for quite a while with only a short rest (Chapter 2:7).  The truth is that sometimes the wait is long. Romans 5:3 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Ruth did not give up on God.

So, what does the story of Ruth teach us about God? As the story unfolds, the providence of God, his provision and his love are evident. His character is revealed in the details.

First, in our physical and spiritual brokenness, the Lord sees us in our suffering, and he does not turn away. It was no accident that God led Ruth to the field of Boaz and that Boaz noticed her (Chapter 2:5). Boaz saw Ruth, even in her shame and suffering, and God sees us.

Second, in our physical and spiritual brokenness, the Lord shelters us under his wing. Boaz tells Ruth, “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (Chapter 2:12)

Third, in our physical and spiritual brokenness, the Lord serves us at his table. Chapter 2:14 says, “And at mealtime, Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” As illustrated in the 23rd Psalm, we are welcome and invited guests at the Lord’s table. He fills our cups until they are overflowing.

The truth is the Lord looks down on us when we are spiritually fractured with compassion and grace. When we place our hand in His, accept his grace and step out in obedience we can find comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our suffering. His providence will sustain us as he showers us with kindness, mercy, goodness, and self-less loyalty.  The greatest lesson we learn from Ruth is that God, our kinsman redeemer, has sent himself in the form of His Son to save us from our sin.

Are you struggling to see God in the waiting? Abide in Bethlehem. Jesus is in the details. He sees you, shelters you and provides for you.  Are you physically hurting? Abide in Bethlehem. Jesus will weep with you. Are you struggling with shame and sin? Abide in Bethlehem. Jesus sees you and wants to redeem you.

Look to Bethlehem

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Ruth Chapter 1

The loss of a job, an unforeseen diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, threats and rumors of war, division and hatred, a pandemic. There are times when chaos, loss and pain seem out of control. Our lives spin as we attempt to hang on through the daily grind, while all the while we crumble on the inside.

Have you ever had those moments? When external circumstances drive you to your knees in tears? In my short adult life I have had those crying in the shower, questioning God moments.  Haven’t we all? The truth is all around us there is brokenness, both big and small. Some face hairline cracks, smaller more insignificant moments of vulnerability, while others face large schisms that threaten to break them right in half.

Ruth and Naomi were familiar with brokenness. Naomi, a Jew, had lived in the land of Moab with her husband, Elimelech. Then one day tragedy struck. Elimelech died. Naomi was left a widow with two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who had both married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. I can only imagine the pain Naomi must have felt at the loss of her husband. But this was not the only tragedy for Naomi. After living for 10 years in the country of Moab with her sons and daughters-in-law, Mahlon and Chilion also died.

Three widows now found themselves all alone and without a male provider. In their culture this was the height of tragedy. They were homeless and without protection or someone to provide for their basic needs.  They found themselves physically alone, spiritually devastated in a land of sinners, and without hope of salvation.

I can imagine each one of them falling to their knees. Shattered. Shaking. Dizzy. Would they allow their faith to be shaken? No.

You see, Naomi knew something that she had obviously passed on to her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Naomi chose to cling to faith and hope. She would return to Bethlehem, the land of bread and promise, with expectation in a God bigger than her spiritual and physical challenges. Even in believing that “the Lord had dealt bitterly with her,” (Ruth 1:20) she believed in the hope of finding a kinsmen redeemer. Ruth also held onto this hope. Despite having been told by her mother-in-law to stay in Moab, Ruth vowed to follow Naomi to Bethlehem.

Ruth said, “For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16 ESV)

Together Ruth and Naomi would look to Bethlehem for hope.

And so, in our physical brokenness we are reminded of our spiritual brokenness. We are all but sinners in a desolate land, lost and in need of a redeemer.  Like Naomi and Ruth, we can grasp for hope and look to Bethlehem. No matter the outcome of our physical circumstances we can place our faith in Jesus, a baby, who would grow up to become a king, a friend, and ultimately Savior.

Are you feeling physically broken? Look to Bethlehem. Jesus is Healer (Matthew 9:35). Are you mentally worn? Look to Bethlehem. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Are you spiritually broken? Look to Bethlehem. Jesus is Redeemer.

Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”